Zombie Containment
by krut09
Summary: In this story we will explore an alternate universe where Addison goes to Zombie Containment to save Zed after the events of the Homecoming football game. Will the zombie in Zed eat Addison's brain? I also took inspiration from the song 'Know Who You Are' from Moana. Disney owns all the songs used in this fanfic as well as the Z.O.M.B.I.E.S. franchise. XxX Zeddison XxX
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

They were taking him! Why were they taking him?! None of this was his fault. All he was trying to do was win the games to fit in and help the zombies get integrated.

"No! Wait! Please stop!" She yelled, chasing after the officer leading Zed away to the truck.

"Addy, I'm sorry!" He said with a pained look on his face. "Maybe they're right, maybe we shouldn't be together." He looked up past her in the direction of her parents behind her.

"What?! No! Don't say that!" She cried. Zed gave her an apologetic look just before he was pulled towards the truck once more. "Stop!" She screamed, rushing after them again. This time the officer gave her a light shove back. A surge of anger went through Zed. He looked at Addison.

"Addy, please." He begged her. She looked at him in confusion and sadness. It broke his heart to see her making that face at him. "It's over." It hurt even more to say those words. Addison's mouth fell open as tears welled up in her eyes.

What was he saying? Was he giving up? On everything they'd been fighting for? On them? Her heart started to ache. Was he giving up on her? No. She wasn't going to let this happen.

So what does she do? She screams at the booing crowd. Telling all of them off for being so heartless. No one was truly listening to her though. She had to make them pay attention to her. But what could she do?

A thought struck her. If she did this, there would no turning back. She glanced at Zed one more time. His eyes were on her, watching her as she stood in the middle of the field alone.

 _~"I wanna scream, the top of my lungs_

 _Not sitting back, won't hold my tongue_

 _No some things are different than we thought_

 _There's more to life than what we're taught_

 _I'm speaking up enough's enough_

 _Cause' I can't go on this way I_

 _Gotta wake up and be brave_

 _But I know I'll face the fire if I say_

 _I'm gonna stand strong_

 _Nothing's stopping me_

 _I'll be loud you'll hear me now_

 _I'm gonna stand tall_

 _Take it to the top I'll be free_

 _Can't bring me down_

 _So I'll rise won't turn back_

 _I won't hide who I am_

 _I'm gonna stand"_

She tore off her wig, throwing her arms out as if to bring on the hate and the disappointment. Her eyes scanned the crowd and found all the disgust she was expecting.

But she was looking for Zed. His approval was all she needed. She found him and his face showed he was proud of her, standing straighter and chest out with pride. Addison let out a breath she didn't know she was holding as tears spilled over her lids.

Then they were taking him away again. Her small smile fell, the tears pouring down her cheeks. But his was still on his face as he was put into the back of the armored truck along with Eliza and Bonzo.

He was gone. She failed. She was all alone in the middle of the field.

XxX

She laid on her bed face down, crying her eyes out into her pillow. Her parent didn't say a word to her until they got home. And all that turned out to be was scolding her and telling her how disappointed they were in her. Her mother crying a lot saying Addison had ruined everything, their perfect cover was blown forever.

Honestly, none of their words hurt her. She couldn't care less about what anyone thought of her. The only person's opinion she cared about was locked up. Locked up for something he didn't deserve to be locked up for.

He didn't deserve to be locked up. She wiped her face free of tears and got up off her bed, heading for her closet.

The only clothes she had were bright or pastel. She settled for skinny jeans and a tight pale pink tee. Throwing her cheer uniform on the bed, she slid into her new outfit and headed for her window.

There was no way her parents would let her leave the house at this hour, especially after her stunt she pulled at the field. They were too worried about their reputation to care about her feelings.

So she was going to sneak out. Sneak out and break her love out of zombie jail. How she was going to accomplish that, she wasn't totally sure. But she made up her mind.

Carefully, she put one leg out of her second story window then the other, hooking her feet into the vines latched onto the siding of the house.

She was out. She climbed down slowly, trying not to fall. She was lucky the vines were strong enough to hold her as she made it to the ground safely. All she knew for sure was that she was going to need help. She headed for Zed's house.

XxX

It was late. Would Zed's Dad even be awake still? Addison timidly knocked on the door. She shifted her weight back and forth nervously. Was she wasting her time waiting for an answer?

Suddenly, she heard the lock of the door click and the door swung open to reveal a very tired and sad father. He looked at Addison in shock that she was on their doorstep.

"Um, can I.. uh, help you?" He asked, seeming nervous to have a human at his house after the day he'd had.

"Um hi! Mr. Necrodoplis! My name's Addison." She introduces herself quickly. It was like his eyes fell at her name.

"Zed told me a lot about you, Miss Addison. I'm sorry but he's not here." He said, ready to excuse himself and close the door. But Addison caught the door before he could close it.

"Wait! Please! Just hear me out." She begged. He looked at her in surprise and confusion but opened the door to let her in. He looked around outside quickly before closing the door.

He led her to the kitchen table and offered her a seat, sitting across from her with his elbows resting on the table and waited for her to talk. Addison took a deep breath before she just said it.

"I'm going to break Zed out." She said confidently. "But I need a little help." If his jaw could come off its henges it would have hit the table as his mouth dropped open at her words. He shook his head as if to snap himself out of a daze.

"Honey, there's no need for you to do that. He'll be released in a few days." He tried telling her comfortingly. Addison shook her head vigorously.

"No! He didn't do anything wrong! Neither did Eliza or Bonzo! They don't deserve to be locked up!" She argued. Zed's father sighed and reached across the table to lightly grab her hand.

"I appreciate your words, but it would be extremely dangerous for you there." He told her with sad eyes.

"I don't care!" Addison yelled, determination blazing in her eyes. "All I need is help finding where he is. Even just a point in the right direction. I'm going to get to him one way or another."

Then he withdrew his hand, placing it on his chin like he was thinking. "Honestly, I'm pretty sure my son would kill me if I took you there." Addison's face faltered slightly for a moment, knowing he was probably right, before he continued.

"But..." He drew out, looking at her with a resigning grin. "I don't think Zed himself could stop you if you are this determined." He sighed. "Ok, I'll help you get there but I won't be much help getting you in. It's called Zombie Containment." Addison shuddered.

"Addison." He said focusing her back on his words, looking directly in her eyes seriously. "My son won't be himself. Are you sure you want to do this?" There wasn't even a moment's hesitation as she nodded her head, that fire of determination blazing behind her eyes.

"Ok." He resigned, shrugging his shoulders like there was no changing her mind. "But I don't think you'll be able to do much sneaking in with an outfit as bright as that." He raised an eyebrow with his arms crossed. Addison blushed and lowered her head.

"I don't have anything darker or I would have worn it..." She explained. Zed's father shook his head with a chuckle, mumbling something under his breath about human style.

"Head up to Zed's room and grab a hoodie or something to cover up that pink shirt. You'll stick out like a sore thumb like that." He instructed, motioning towards the stairs and mentioning that his room is the first door on the right.

Addison wasted no time doing what she was told. She entered his room and was slow to walk in, looking around and trying to memorize every detail. She admired his uniqueness and wished she had embraced hers sooner. Once at his closet, she opened it up and found his wardrobe had a slim amount to choose from. She grabbed a dark green hoodie with maroon sleeves and hood. She brought the fabric to her chest and buried her nose in it, taking in Zed's natural scent and instantly feeling slightly calmer.

"You're Addison. I met you at the zombie light garden." A small voice spoke from the doorway. Addison spun around as if she'd been caught doing something wrong and spotted the girl in the door.

"Oh! Zoey! You scared me!" Addison laughed nervously and made her way towards the little girl, crouching down to her level.

"Are you going to help my brother?" She asked, her face looked sad. Addison smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah, I'm gonna do everything I can to help him." She said. Zoey smiled back at her and threw herself into her for a hug. Addison returned it then pulled back when they heard her father call from the bottom of the stairs.

XxX

Addison couldn't help but pull the oversized hoodie tighter and sneaking whiffs of Zed's scent as they drove. Zed's father piled them into his worn out truck, Zoey wedged between them. The drive wasn't long but Addison played their plan over and over in her head.

When they were a few minutes from the entrance, Zed's Dad would pull over and she would get in the back of the truck. When they pulled up, he would create a distraction just enough to let her hop out and sneak past the front guard. That's where her help would end. It would be up to her from then on.

The truck pulled to a stop and Addison knew it was time to put the plan into action. Zed's Dad grabbed her sleeve before she could jump out, a concerned look etched on his face.

"You're sure you want to do this?" He asked Addison nodded and got out of the truck, tucking herself in the back under an old tarp. They pulled up to the entrance gate and Zed's father started talking to the guard.

"My daughter was hoping we could have a quick visit with my son." He asked politely. The guard rolled his eyes.

"It's past zombie curfew. Besides, you should know there's no visits in Zombie Containment." The guard stated sternly. "I suggest you go back home before I have to call the patrol and have you forcefully taken." The man threatened. Zed's father waved a hand of surrender.

"No, no! No need for that! She's just young and wouldn't leave me alone until I tried. Sorry for bothering you." With that, he put the truck in reverse and they turned around to leave, hoping Addison would be alright by herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Addison silently thanked Zed's family for their help as they pulled away. They had given her just enough time to sneak past the gate guard and up to the front door. She had the hood of Zed's jacket pulled over her head to hide her bright white hair as well.

She slipped into the door and slid close to the wall, peaking around the corners to make sure the coast was clear before proceeding forward. The halls were deserted.

Her adrenaline was pumping through her veins as she made a sprint down one of the hallways. If someone saw her, it would be over. She had to be quick. Lucky for her, the building didn't seem to big or complicated and she found herself slowing to a halt as she realized the next hallway she turned down was lined with windows that peered into blank rooms that resembled cells.

Little did she know, a security guard watching the cameras was already making a call to the Chief of Patrol.

XxX

She walked slowly down the corridor, mouth opened slightly at the horrible things she was seeing, removing her hood from over her head. The first room had Eliza strapped to a chair and she didn't look like herself, her arms covered in dark veins, her eyes darkened and sunken in.

Their eyes met and Eliza started growling and struggling against the straps. Addison gulped, giving her an apologetic look but kept walking. Then she found Bonzo, he was strapped down the same but seemed to just be staring blankly at the floor. Her eyes saddened at the sight but continued walking, she had a different zombie she was looking for. She swore to herself that she would come back for her other friends later.

The next room stopped her heart. There was Zed, strapped to a chair like their friends. The sight broke her. How could they be so cruel? They're left like this for days? He was zombie-fied as well, dark purple veins creeping up his arms, his eyes dark and angry.

His eyes lifted to hers and something seemed to ignite in him. He began struggling against his restraints with all his might. The thick leather straps ripping, he metal buckles creaking and bending until they snapped, and even the chair's hinges and bolts coming loose. His towering form stood slowly, head lowered, his muscles flexed. He lifted his eyes and glared at the girl behind the glass.

Tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't stand him looking at her like that.

 _~"I have crossed the horizon to find you"_ Addison sang as she stepped up to the glass, hand extended to gingerly place against it. Zed's cheeks puffed in and out as he violently huffed through gritted teeth. His eyes boar into hers, his pupils dilated almost completely. A blinding fury waging war in those eyes. Addison wanted to cry.

 _~"I know your name"_ This was still her Zed. Even if he seemed unrecognizable.

"Rrrraaaaarrrrrrhhh!" Zed roared shaking the walls as his knuckles crackled from his fingers flexing unnaturally. Addison didn't run, didn't even flinch. Her Zed would never hurt her. Zed stormed towards the glass, towards her. Slamming his fists against it, trying to get to her.

With his fists pounding the glass, she noticed his Z-band was gone.

 _~"They have stolen the heart from inside you"_ Her fingers rested against the glass where his left fist was now stopped on the clear surface. His breathing was still jagged but he was now staring at her, unmoving other than a few jerks of his purple veined muscles here and there.

 _~"But this does not define you"_ His eyes widen a fraction as her other hand presses a button beside them and the door slides open. Red lights began blinking. Addison walked towards the door, keeping her eye contact with Zed, her fingers dragging along the glass as she walked.

Zed's breathing quickened. He could smell her.

 _~"This is not who you are"_ Addison entered the room and the two were squared, facing one another. Zed's muscles were flexing and jerking out of his control at the smell of Addison in the room but he managed to keep his feet planted, his head telling him to eat.

Addison took a step towards him.

"Nnnoooo!" Zed screamed in a deep distorted voice. Addison stopped. "Ru- ru-" he growled between his panting. "Ruuunnn!" He roared, his face twisted as if he were in pain. Addison took another step and another. "A- A- Addy. No." He said between pants, pleading with her to get away. He didn't want to hurt her.

 _~"You know who you are"_ She was in front of him, wrapping her arms around his torso. Zed's breath slowly became less ridged. His arms, still covered in the dark purple veins, slowly encased her gently. He placed his nose in her snow white hair and breathed in deep.

"Who you truly are." She whispered.

"My. Addy." His voice was still low and distorted, but it sounded calm. His growls felt like content purrs against Addison's ear as her head rested on his chest.

"You're ok Zed. I'm here." She whispered.

"Hrrrmmm." He growled his agreement, tightening his hold on her slightly, protectively. The lovers embraced each other for a few long moments.

The sudden sound of people yelling and running footsteps down the hall rushed towards them. Addison's head turned in the direction of the door and in the next instant Zed had shoved her behind him and was growling and roaring furiously at the guards that just rushed into the room. His football pads had blocked most of her from view. He was protecting her.

"Rah! Grah!" Zed growled threateningly, teeth exposed, in a hunched defensive posture.

"Where's the girl?! There's no blood?!" The men yelled more to one another than to the zombie in front of them. "Why isn't he attacking?! He should be mindlessly on a rampage!" Another questioned. "Who cares! Just put him down!" Another yelled. Addison gasped, her eyes widening at the exclaim.

"No!" She screamed in horror, throwing herself around Zed's back. He immediately quieted at her touch. Without letting go, she wiggled under his arm and clung to his side so all the men could finally get a good view of her, her eyes glaring at them. "You're not going to hurt him!" She yelled protectively. Zed wrapped the arm she was under around her shoulders and replaced his nose in her hair, taking in a deep whiff of her scent.

All the men were taken aback. How was this possible? No zombie has ever been able to stop their craving of flesh. The chief stepped forward.

"Addison! Get away from him before you get hurt!" He orders. At his words, Zed growls, but only enough for Addy to hear. His eyes are squeezed shut in concentration, on her scent alone to keep him calm.

"No! Can't you see? He would NEVER hurt me!" She replies, rubbing her hand over his chest, her other hand reaching up to the short hair on the back of his neck. She softly scratches there and a shiver shot down Zed's spine. "Zombies are NOT monsters. They have feelings and love just like humans do. You just have to give them a chance." The purring growls returned to Zed's chest as reassurance and appreciation to his love in his arms.

The men looked back and forth at one another before they finally surrendered the argument. "Fine, but he still needs his Z-band. He's still not 100% in control." The chief sighed.

Addison nodded eagerly, looking up lovingly at her zombie. He looked back at her and she could see he was still struggling but there was still recognition in his eyes. He would be back to normal once they returned his Z-band to him.

A few moments later, a man in a white lab coat entered the room and stretched as far as he could to hand Addison the Z-band without getting too close, afraid the 'un-controlled' zombie would attack in an instant.

Addison quickly took the band and offered her hand to Zed for him to give her his. She could hear the murmurs and gasps as he rested his hand in hers softly grasping her hand as if for support.

After strapping the Z-band on his wrist, she tapped the screen to activate it. Within seconds, Zed's veins faded from his arms and his eyes lightened back up. He looked down at Addy with a small smile before he slumped forward into her in exhaustion.

"Zed!" She caught him in her arms and slowly lowered the both of them to the ground. "Are you ok?! Say something!" Addison exclaimed. Zed nodded weakly and smiled up at her from his spot on her lap.

"Yeah. I'm good." He smiled more widely up at her. She couldn't help the laugh that left her before tears filled her eyes and she hugged him tightly. He gladly hugged her back.

"Thanks Addy." He whispered, she smiled and just hugged him tighter in response.

Soon a bunch of people rushed them and white coats began checking over both Zed and herself, checking vitals and for any injuries. They didn't force the couple apart. Addison guessed they had proven that wasn't gonna happen anyways.

When everything checked out, they started to move Zed to a medical room for some rest before they released him.

Addison followed close behind as two men walked him to the room, one under each of his arms for support. She saw Zed make glances back to make sure she was still there every so often. She would give him a reassuring smile every time their eyes met.

Once in the med room, the men sat Zed down on the bed and quickly left. A woman in a white coat brought in a change of clothes for Zed to get out of his football uniform and told the two that once he was rested he would be released then left the young couple alone, closing the door behind her.

Addison helped Zed slowly out of his jersey and shoulder pads, he winced from his stiff muscles. She then turned around to give him some privacy so he could change pants before returning to his side.

She pulled a chair up and sat at his bedside holding onto his hand the whole time while he slept. The exhaustion of being in control of his zombie side put him immediately out as soon as he laid his head on the pillow.

She sat there just staring at his peaceful face as he slept for a while. She smiled as she remembered how Zed protected her even though he was full on zombie. He really does love her, doesn't he? She was sure that there was no greater love than what they shared.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The pleasant feeling of someone gently playing with a few of her curls near her ear roused her back into consciousness. She stretched her sore muscles and groaned softly before her brain caught up with her. She shot up into the sitting position.

The muffled chuckle beside her made her snap her head in its direction. Zed was sitting where he fell asleep smiling at her. She realized that she must have fallen asleep at some point too. Seeing him smiling at her, made her own wide smile spread across her face.

She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugged him as tight as she could. Zed laughed and held her close and buried his nose in the crook of her neck, wanting just as badly to be near her.

"I'm happy to see you too!" Zed teased when Addison finally pulled back to look at him. She giggled and play slapped his shoulder. He pulled her further onto the bed till she was resting comfortably in his lap, neither of them relinquishing their holds on the other. Addison still had her arms around his neck and he held her delicately around her waist.

"I missed you." She said softly, affectionately. Zed couldn't stop himself from smiling even if he tried. Addison had saved him. She was so brave and proved to everyone that they had a real, deep connection that, even if he lost control, he would never hurt her. He leaned in and brushed his nose back and forth against hers, giving her an eskimo kiss.

"I missed you more." He replied. Addison blushed as she realized how close his face was to hers, and how easily they could lean in a few inches and their lips could touch. Even through all this, they still hadn't shared their first kiss.

 _~"I know it might be crazy, but did you hear the story"_ He sang quietly, just to her. Their usual teasing when singing this song together seemed distant as the two held a soft and serious gaze with one another, the air thick between them.

 _~"I think I heard it vaguely"_

 _~"A girl and a zombie"_

 _~"Oh, tell me more boy, Sounds like a fantasy"_ Addison's eyes lidded as she looked from his eyes and his lips for a moment. Zed doing the same.

 _~"Oh, what could go so wrong, With a girl and a zombie?"_ They sang together as the distance between them closed.

Addison completely shut her eyes just before their lips met, a spark shooting through them straight down their spines. When they pulled back, they looked into each other's eyes. Zed rested his forehead against hers and Addison giggled contently. He smiled at the sweet sound and squeezed her a little tighter.

Then one of his hands reached up and pulled lightly on the collar on the side where the 'Z' patch was sown in of his jacket she was still wearing. "Nice hoodie." He teased raising an eyebrow at her. Addison blushed, tugging on her sleeves nervously.

"Yeah, um, your dad let me borrow it." She said avoiding his eyes. Zed quirked his eyebrow at her.

"My dad? Like at the field?" He asked in confusion when she would have met up with him.

"No. I went to your house. Asking him for help." She confessed, gaffing his reaction. His brows furrowed together still confused so she continued. "He drove me here." Zed's eyes widened and Addison could see the anger all over his face.

"He what?!" Zed almost yelled. Addison winced but not from fear of him hurting her, but of him being mad at his father. "He knows how dangerous this would be for you and he still let you come?! He brought you here?!" He ranted at her, still holding her affectionately. His fear of her getting hurt showing through his anger. Addison shook her head hard at him.

"No! He tried to convince me not to come, but I insisted! I told him I was going whether he helped me or not, so he gave in." She explained, defending his father. He sighed, knowing how she could be when she set her mind to something, and gave her a resigning smile as he shook his head.

"You're going to kill me one day from worrying about you." He said. Addison giggled in response.

A sudden knock on the door made them realized how intimate their position would look and jumped apart, Addison sitting on the edge of the bed closer to the end and Zed scratching the back of his head. Addison's face was burning as she stared at the floor when the doctor entered with two assistants, one man and one woman.

"Good morning Zed! How are you feeling?" The old man asked excitedly. Zed nervously smile.

"Uh I'm great! Do I get to go home soon? What about Bonzo and Eliza?" He asked, the man nodding but waving his hand to dismiss he question.

"Yes yes, of course. We were just wanting to make sure everything is normal with you before discharging you." He said looking over the file in his hands.

Zed glanced at Addison who glanced at him concerned. Both of them had confused looks on their faces when the doctor looked up from the file at them. He sighed and chuckled, nothing gets past kids these days.

"There's nothing to worry about. There has to be a reason you were able to stay in control of your zombie side. We just want to see if we can figure it out." He explained. Zed raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, I love Addison and I'd never hurt her. End of story." He spat in annoyance. Addison blushed but a small smile wouldn't leave her lips. Her heart fluttered. "Now let's get back to my friends. Are they going to be discharged with me?" Zed demanded, his concern for his friends obviously at his forefront.

The doctor sighed again and cleared his throat. "Eliza and Bonzo are in recovery rooms now. They were informed of the situation and... well, they're not too happy about it." He said, glancing at Addison. Zed reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze of reassurance.

"If we can just give you a quick 'check-up', you'll be out of here before you know it!" The doctor said, enthusiastic again.

With that, the woman assistant was leading Addison to the door. "Wha-? Wait!" She cried, looking back over her shoulder to Zed who gave her a worried look, the male assistant holding his shoulder to keep him seated.

"It's alright, you can wait outside while he gets his exam." The woman explained with a kind smile.

"I'll be right out here Zed!" She yelled to him. He nodded then turned back to the doctor.

XxX

Addison sat on a bench right outside Zed's recovery room. She pulled her feet up onto the seat and hugged her knees, catching small whiffs of Zed's scent from the hoodie she was still wearing. The thought of him made her smile.

He had told the doctor so plainly that he loves her. Her heart quickened in excitement. Yeah, she knew he loved her but he was telling strangers openly! She wondered if this feeling would ever go away. If it would ever get less exciting for him to tell people they were in love. At the moment, she didn't really care. She was going to soak up these feelings she had for him.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps coming towards her from an adjacent hallway. She lifted her head in that direction, more out of curiosity than anything. But then her eyes widened. Eliza and Bonzo were being escorted down the hall. Just as they were about to pass, Eliza's eyes lifted just in time to meet Addison's. She froze in her tracks, causing everyone else to do the same and follow her gaze. Bonzo saw her as well, his eyes widening at seeing her.

Eliza broke out into a sprint, the men shouting for her to stop out of panic of her hurting the human girl. Addison stood. Eliza almost tackled her as she wrapped her arms around the girl with the crushing hug.

"How could you be so reckless and STUPID!" Eliza exclaimed into her shoulder as a sob escaped with the last word. Addison hugged the zombie girl back with a smile.

"I'd never leave you guys alone." Addison said almost teasingly, earning a chuckle from Eliza, though not loosening her grip in the least. This was the first time Eliza had showed she really cared about her.

Then, another pair of large arms were wrapping around both of them, Bonzo's. The two girls giggled as Bonzo lifted them into the air effortlessly and swung them around gently in affection. He sat them back down and the girls also released their holds.

"You know that was really dangerous of you though." Eliza pointed out, Addison nodded sheepishly.

"I knew Zed would never hurt me. No matter what state he was in." She said, a light blush covering her cheeks.

"Grahzah zigaz arh." Bonzo said. Eliza immediately interjected.

"He says, 'We're glad you're safe.'" She translated, then quickly added. "And we really are." She said with a smile. Addison smiled widely at both of them before hugging them one more time.

"I'm so happy to call you guys friends." She said happily.

"Us too." Eliza replies and Bonzo nods vigorously.

That was when the men who were escorting them to begin with decided to interrupt them. "Alright, alright. Let get moving. We're on a schedule here." One man said, breaking up the three.

"I'll see you guys later!" Addison called. Eliza nodded and Bonzo waved as they were walked back the way they were originally headed.

Addison watched them until they turned the corner out of sight. She sighed happily and plopped back down on the bench, her head landing against the wall with a soft thud, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Addison fidgeted on the bench, half out of discomfort and half out of nervousness. It'd been a while even since her run in with Eliza and Bonzo. Not even a word from in the room with Zed. Was everything ok? Should she knock and ask?

She heard the harsh slam of a door open and quick footsteps heading towards her again. One sounded heavier then the other. Zed's Dad and Zoey suddenly came around the corner and looked back and forth down the hallways until Zoey's eyes caught sight of Addison, pointing at her with excitement.

"Daddy! There's Addison!" Zoey yelled. His head snapped in her direction and he hurried towards her. Zoey let go of his hand and ran in front of him, Addison bent down to her level like she always did and Zoey jumped into Addison's arms to hug her. Once Zed's Dad caught up he looked a little frazzled.

"Is he in here?" He asked pointed at the door.

"Yeah." Addison nodded, sitting Zoey on her feet and holding her hand as she stood. He gestured for them to follow him. Addison wasn't going to say no to checking on Zed, even if the assistant had said she needed to wait outside. He knocked on the door and it was quick to open, the male assistant standing in the doorway.

"Mr. Necrodoplis, please come in." He entered and Addison went to follow with Zoey in tow but the man put a hand up to stop her. "I'm sorry Miss, you still need to wait out here. Family only right now." Zed's Dad spoke up.

"She can come in. She _is_ family now." He said firmly, the man looked hesitant but allowed Addison to enter. Addison's heart swelled. She smiled wide at Zed's Dad and he returned a warm one before they continued into the room.

Zed heard all of it and as soon as his eyes met Addison's his face lit up. Addison barely held back her tears as she saw Zed with all the stickies and wires over his bare chest. Her worry evaporating instantly at seeing his smile. His dad had rushed over and hugged him, equally as happy that he was ok, then stepped back to give him some space.

Zed lifted a hand to beckon her to him. She led Zoey to her father and quickly sat beside Zed, resting against his side as he put his arm around her, pulling her tight to his chest, kissing her hair. He wondered if she could feel the big surprise the doctor found, the reason for calling his dad in so urgently.

The doctor cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Thank you Mr. Necrodoplis for getting here so quickly on such short notice!" The doctor regarded him with a smile. "We have done a physical and ran a couple of tests on your son and found some very interesting results!"

Addison tightened her hold on Zed as if he would disappear if she let go. The results couldn't be bad right? The doctor was smiling. He couldn't just be being nice about the situation right? Zed is ok, right?! Anxiety clenching her chest uncomfortably.

The doctor pressed a button on one of the many devices beside him and the sound of a heartbeat sounded in the room. It wasn't the strongest, but it was definitely a heartbeat. Both Zed's father and Addison's brows furrowed in confusion. Zed returned the tighter hug to Addison at hearing the heartbeat. Would she feel it now? He smiled.

"Zed has a heartbeat." The doctor said. His dad froze, wide eyed and mouth agape. Addison was wide eyed too. She quickly moved her head more to the center of his chest, pressing her ear against his skin. Sure enough she could hear the faint beating. She lifted her head and saw his wide smile.

"Oh Zed!" She cried and pulled him into a hug again.

"How is that possible? He didn't have a heartbeat when he was born." His Dad asked, baffled. The doctor nods.

"We aren't 100% sure ourselves. But I have a couple theories." The old man proposed. "We have the first theory that his meeting Addison and falling in love with her started up his heart. Then the second theory I have is that the newest generation of zombies may be evolving and using the Z-bands from birth to train their systems and ultimately mimicking the effects."

"So you're saying there's a chance zombies won't have to wear the Z-bands at all?" Addison pointed out.

"One day maybe, it could take many more generations to achieve it. But that's my theory." He confirmed. But the hope was still there. Addison beamed at Zed, who had hope filling deep in his eyes.

"So what does this mean for Zed?" His father asked concerned. The doctor gave him a kind smile.

"We would like to monitor the changes, but we promise not to treat him like a lab rat." He told them sincerely, placing a hand over his heart as he promised. "As for now, we just want to get a good baseline then Zed will be free to go!"

Zed's Dad sighed in relief for the first time that whole time listening to the doctor. Addison stayed next to Zed the rest of the time the doctor and his assistants took vitals and baselines. Once they were done, they gave Zed the go ahead to leave, as promised.

The small family, along with Addison, walked down the corridors towards the exit. Zed's Dad cleared his throat nervously and scratched the back of his head with the free hand not holding onto Zoey's.

"Uh, Addison, our truck isn't big enough to take all of us back... so I, uh, had to call your parents to come get you... I'm sorry." He said apologetically, sincerity clear in his nervous voice.

"What?" Addison asked more from shock than question, her wide eyes showing the slight tinge of fear she felt. Zed squeezed her hand reassuringly.

Before any of them could say anything else, they heard the entrance door slam open. With just a turn of the head, there they were. Addison's parents.

Their eyes met and they rushed towards the group with their daughter. Her mother reached her first. Pulling her into a tight hug, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Oh Addison! Thank god you're alright!" She cried. Addison was still wide eyed and surprised. She hugged her mom back. Her father came around and hugged his family, relief written on his strong features. Yes, her parents cared about their reputation and image. Yes, Addison had messed that up with removing her wig in front of everyone. But they still deeply loved their daughter and wanted nothing more than for her to be safe. After a few moments, they pulled back to look her in the eyes at arms length.

"What were you thinking?! You could have been killed!" Her mother questioned. The tears slowed now to a stop as she wiped her eyes, waiting for an answer from her daughter.

"But I wasn't!" She said, turning her head slightly to look back at Zed not too far away. "Zed would never hurt me." She said with a small smile and a dreamy look in her eyes, her voice expressing as if it were completely obvious. He smiled back at her.

Her father followed her eyes to the young man smiling at his daughter. He cleared his throat and straightened up as he stepped around his wife and little girl. Zed gulped and stood up straight as he stood in front of him.

"You're the zombie that my daughter risked her life to save?" He asked, voice stern.

"Yes sir." Zed said, nodding once in confirmation. Addison watched with worried eyes as her mother held her close once again, stroking her hair comfortingly while she also watching her husband's interaction with Addison's zombie boyfriend.

Without warning, her father wrapped his arms around the young man for a quick firm hug. Zed was shocked, maybe as much as Addison. The older man pulled back and patted Zed's shoulder as he offered a smile.

"Thank you for taking care of our daughter. We were wrong about you." He said returning to his family, wrapping one around his wife and resting his head against hers.

"About zombies." Her mother corrected, smiling at Zed's father and little sister. They returned the gesture. Addison had tears in her eyes as she hugged her parents around their necks tightly. Then she turned and ran into Zed, his arms welcoming her as they engulfed her in a hug. He placed a gentle kiss on the top of her hair.

Maybe things really would be different. Maybe they could change things for this 'perfect' little town. At the moment, Addison didn't care about all of that. She was overwhelmed by the joy that her parents were finally willing to accept that zombies weren't monsters. That _Zed_ wasn't a monster. She tightened her hold on him. Whatever was to come, she would face it all with him. She looked up into his eyes, his smile spread wide on his lips.

"Gar garziga." She said confidently. Zed thought his heart skipped a beat for a second but quickly recovered.

"Yeah. I gar garziga you too." He replied with a smile. Addison's face was splitting with a huge smile as she buried her face back into his chest.

Yeah, she would face anything with Zed.


End file.
